By Brendan Carr on Wednesday, September 09, 2015

​Whether we realize it or not, every one of us embarks on a series of adventures every day. We may not be scaling mountains or conquering the open sea, but our daily doings are often filled with challenges and interesting activities that are worth celebrating. Our month-long celebration of everyday adventures begins at a place where exciting things are always happening – Dansko home base!

​It would be difficult to find the inspiration to design and create new shoes if our everyday environment wasn’t stimulating to our senses. That’s why the Dansko corporate headquarters was intended to be an inspirational oasis that motivates action, spurs creativity and fuels our workday adventures.

​As soon as you set foot here, your eyes are treated to a bounty of beautiful sculptures, lush greenery, and a peaceful pond. That serene scene creates a positive vibe that continues throughout our entire home. Whether we’re holding a meeting amid the scenic splendor of our vegetated roof or taking five on the balcony that overlooks our living wall, there are plenty of creative catalysts in our surroundings. In that sense, our home does more than house our staff; it inspires us to create the shoes for your everyday adventures.

​Come with us now, as we take a most unusual tour of Dansko with our co-founder Peter!

By Mindful Magazine on Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The holidays can be both a joyful and chaotic time of year. Families get together—a lovely experience, but when we’re hosting relatives and coordinating gift exchanges, a sense of obligation can crowd out some of our jollier feelings. There’s often so much doing that we don’t make time for being together.

Here are a few simple ways you can mindfully plan your holidays and spread feelings of kindness and compassion liberally this season:Have A Mindful PotluckCutting down on cooking is not a cop out. Extending the invitation to family and friends to bring their favorite recipes into your home is a great conversation starter—after all, we all have a few recipes passed down to us from our grandparents. Potlucks also cut down on worries you might have about guests not enjoying the food. You can extend your generosity a bit further by coordinating your potluck with the fundraising efforts of local food organizations.Dodge The DogfightsGetting together with relatives can be a real joy, but it can also create many challenges. There are lots of unspoken expectations about the holidays. And sometimes when we visit relatives, we feel like we’re a teenager again and not an adult. And the personalities! When with family, stick to topics you can all agree on.

Have A Gift-Light HolidayFor some of us, giving gifts is as essential as the star on the top of the tree. But the stress of looking for the right “thing” can eclipse actually seeing and talking to the people we’re buying for. Happiness can’t be wrapped up in a bow. Instead of obsessing over what to get someone, consider that the perfect gift might be your presence. You can also give a gift as a family: do some volunteer work together, or take some time at the year’s end to send donations to organizations you care about.

By practicing a few of these quick-and-simple suggestions, you can make the most of your family time—and holiday time—this winter.

Visit mindful.org for feature articles or to subscribe to the magazine in print or digital format. Happy holidays!

By Diana on Friday, September 12, 2014

Way back in 1990, when mood rings, baggy shorts and hair scrunchies dominated fashion trends, husband and wife team Mandy Cabot and Peter Kjellerup revolutionized the comfort footwear industry. How, you may ask?

Well, it all started with the discovery of “the perfect barn shoe”—a comfortable, supportive clog found in a tiny store in Europe. At the time, Mandy and Peter were horse trainers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and knew these simple clogs would change the lives of everyone who might wear them. So they packed their suitcases with pairs to share with friends. When their friends tried them on, they told their friends. And just like that, the couple launched a comfort generation.

From the introduction of our Professional clog to the present day, Mandy and Peter have diligently worked to achieve quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. Thoughtful engineering, highest-quality materials and rigorous testing enable every shoe we sell—including sneakers, boots, heels, flats and clogs—to deliver all-day comfort and support. This combination of materials and construction, or the Dansko DNA, as we call it, promotes good foot, leg and back health. What started with the Professional clog now benefits every Dansko style.

Below, we shine our magnifying glass on the original Professional clog by sharing ten keys steps in the design, construction and delivery process. Sit back, relax, and learn more about our iconic silhouette!

1. Putting the Pieces Together. At this step, all components of the shoe are combined with the Last to ensure that fit, function, and style all align with the creative vision. A prototype shoe is built around the selected Last. Each element is inspected by hand to evaluate quality and performance, both individually and when combined into the shoe.

2. The Perfect Fit. Detailed measurements are taken and prototypes are fitted on the Last and on our Test Team (in-house Cinderellas!). The goal is to ensure that the shoe fits comfortably. If needed, the Last and shoe prototypes are adjusted. Materials, construction and fit are all finalized by testing a wide range of sizes (and types of feet) before production begins.​

3. Upper Material Selection. Our design team reviews thousands of fabric and leather swatches from all over the world each season, choosing only those materials that meet Dansko's high standards. The upper material is tested multiple times throughout the development cycle to ensure the finished product meets our high quality standards. Our Material Technicians take great care to ensure that the materials perform at their best - our full grain leathers are rich and luxurious, our patents bold and vibrant, our fabrics stunning, and our suedes silky to the touch.

4. Pattern Cutting. With the upper materials chosen, it's time to start cutting. Our Material Technicians carefully place the patterns in such a way to ensure that the natural beauty of the upper materials is preserved and that waste is minimized. They also take care to cut the material so the grain of the leather is aligned with the design to ensure the natural wear and give of the material is preserved. Before an upper is attached to the outsole, it is inspected for material quality and workmanship.

5. Pre-Production Testing. We test shoe components, prototypes and pre-production pairs throughout the development cycle. Many tests are performed at independent laboratories, as well as our own laboratory, to ensure that our shoes perform the way we expect. Our laboratory, at our Pennsylvania HQ, has been certified by SATRA, the international organization that sets testing standards for the footwear industry. Dansko's lab performs a wide range of tests, including abrasion resistance, durability when flexing, and tensile strength.

7. Baked to Perfection. Once the shoes are constructed, they are heated to 'set' the upper materials. Creams, waxes and finishes are applied to enhance the handcrafted beauty of every pair.

8. Testing, Testing, Testing. All Dansko shoes go through an extended fit and wear test process. Our Fitting Experts evaluate every Dansko style and size, working with our Test Team to conduct evaluations such as the 30-day "Walk & Wear" marathon...boots in August anyone?

9. Final Inspection. The final step is a detailed inspection for quality, aesthetics and craftsmanship. Only those shoes that pass all the rigorous inspections are approved to proudly wear the Dansko brand. These pairs are then placed into Dansko shoeboxes to begin the journey to your local retailer and, eventually, your closet.

By Christy on Thursday, August 14, 2014

Located in the rolling hills of Southeastern Pennsylvania, our LEED® Gold certified headquarters perfectly illustrates our passion for sustainability—and our passion for local living! Paintings from community artists hang throughout the building, solar panels turn sun rays into electricity, and fun little details, like copper rain chains shaped like flowers, enable us to make the most of our resources.

With these features (and so many more) in mind, we can’t help but feel privileged to work in such an inspiring space. We don’t want to take our beautiful facility for granted, so we decided to pick our five favorite spots.

​Vegetated RoofWhen the weather feels just right, we walk up to our rooftop garden for a peaceful, sun-soaked lunch. Shrubs, grasses, flowers and other plants take up two-thirds of the roof’s surface, offering the perfect insulation for reduced heating and cooling usage. We’re thrilled to “do our part” for the environment—and we’re glad our efforts helped create the ultimate outdoor café!

​Living WallStacked vertically from floor to ceiling, our living wall houses all kinds of garden life—including orchids, philodendron, ferns and other colorful plants. The living wall acts as a natural filter, improving air quality to create a clean, healthy workspace. And of course, the cascading waterfall serves as an “occasional” distraction between meetings, providing a calm, cool breather in the middle of the day.

​Outdoor Pool (with a mermaid, too)Just outside our front door, a mermaid sculpture watches over our grounds, sitting in the middle of a small pool. Sometimes we forget she’s there at all, though our visitors often take pictures, walk around the edge of the pool, and explore the various plants that sit by her side.

Second-Floor BalconyOur second-floor balcony provides a perfect view of our living wall—and offers a quiet location to gather our thoughts. Surrounded by elegant local art and fresh flowers from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, we often find ourselves sitting in this spot for a few extra minutes. After all, fresh flowers and a living wall make for a nice, relaxing break!

​​Popcorn and Coffee Corner Sometimes we just need a salty, crunchy afternoon snack, and sometimes we just need a little caffeine! When a craving hits, we grab a fresh bag of popcorn from our vintage popcorn machine, fill our mug with warm coffee, and head back to our desk feeling satisfied and refreshed.

To learn more about our delightful (and sustainable) facility, check out our virtual tour on Dansko.com. You’ll be glad you did!

By Nick on Friday, August 08, 2014

​As a talented artist and committed caregiver, Kim Ingwaldson benefits from a seemingly unrelated set of gifts. But last June, Kim stumbled across the opportunity to combine her passion for art and her love for people, kickstarting a new career.

At the time, Kim, a watercolor artist by trade, discovered an ad for an organization called “Art Without Boundaries” (AWB). The pitch sought qualified artists to become trained therapists, with an end goal of using art to help people with brain illness and injury. Kim followed through. And when she met with AWB founder Noelle Hammer, she knew she made the right decision.

“We chatted for hours,” Kim told Karma Wilson, author of No Boundaries! The Art of Mneme Therapy, an article published in 406 Woman Magazine. “She said my combination of skills was perfect for their program, and thought my art was phenomenal.”

After a year of intensive schooling, Kim became Montana��s first certified “Mneme Therapist.” The title, pronounced “Memma Therapist,” describes a professional who uses a “unique, multi-modality process incorporating movement, storytelling, directed painting and praise to achieve sustained focus, which taps into the ability of the brain to heal itself.” On a daily basis, Kim encourages those suffering from dementia, autism, Alzheimer’s, stroke or other brain-related injuries. Along the way, she proudly sports her signature pair of Dansko clogs.

“I spotted Dansko’s Paint Splatter Professional clogs and, as a watercolor artist, I had to buy them. They were just so me,” Kim said. “Most of my clients are wheelchair-bound, and see my shoes first. It makes quite an impression!”

After meeting Kim and her creative Professional clogs, clients begin painting their own works of art. And by works of art, we mean professional-quality landscapes, wildlife scenes, floral arrangements and more. The pieces then travel home with their artist, or feature on calendars, greeting cards and mouse pads for client fundraisers.

Because her clients’ conditions often help them forget about their inhibitions and fears, Kim chooses to see their situation as an opportunity for creativity; they just need someone to open the door for them. Thanks to her beautifully-unique set of gifts, Kim opens doors every day, using her empathetic heart—and her passion for art—to develop optimistic, grateful, and free-spirited artists.